


I'm Just Trying To Keep My Baby Warm Through The Winter Time

by senioritastyles



Series: 25 Days of Ficmas [5]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, First Christmas, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, malum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 17:38:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8762623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/senioritastyles/pseuds/senioritastyles
Summary: "Mikey, I don't think we need all of these lights." Calum groans for the fifth time, following his fiance down the aisles of the shop and watching him throw box after box of different colored and shaped lights into the cart.
Michael spares a glance backwards, picking up a box of snowflake shaped string lights and examining it before placing it inside the cart as well. "I think we do."
"For what, babe? Our house is only so big." Calum complains, grateful when Michael reaches the end of the lights aisle.
Michael sighs and turns around, hands on his hips like Calum is the most petulant person in the world right now. "It might not be a huge house, but it's the first year we have a house, Calum. I wanna decorate it really nice and bright for the holidays."
 
Or: Michael and Calum get their first house ready for Christmas.





	

**Author's Note:**

> (title is from December by Ariana Grande)

"Mikey, I don't think we need all of these lights." Calum groans for the third time, following his fiance down the aisles of the shop and watching him throw box after box of different colored and shaped lights into the cart.

 

Michael spares a glance backwards, picking up a box of snowflake shaped string lights and examining it before placing it inside the cart as well. "I think we do."

 

"For what, babe? Our house is only so big." Calum complains, grateful when Michael reaches the end of the lights aisle.

 

Michael sighs and turns around, hands on his hips like Calum is the most petulant person in the world right now. "It might not be a huge house, but it's the first year we have a house, Calum. I wanna decorate it really nice and bright for the holidays."

 

It's Calum's turn to sigh, because he knows how excited Michael was when they found out that they'd be out of their dingy miniscule apartment and into their first home before Christmas, and he knows how much Michael loves Christmas to begin with, but they don't even have any furniture besides the bedroom and sparse kitchen things they were able to bring with them and he's not sure it's so financially responsible to break the bank for some tacky decorations. At the end of the day, the look on Michael's face is enough to convince him to just go with it and he nods, gesturing for Michael to continue his holiday shopping spree. Michael babbles on down every aisle, grabbing whatever catches his eye and throwing it into their cart, a sunny smile on his face the entire time. Calum is relieved when Michael deems them finally finished, making a quick beeline for the crowded checkout lines and standing firmly in his place for register 6. 

 

"We have to get a real tree, too." Michael declares, glancing this way and that to make certain that there's nothing he forgot to grab.

 

Calum is about to voice his agreement with that when, much to his dismay, Michael shrieks as he spots something else they apparently have to have. Calum doesn't know what it is that Michael sees but the older boy takes off towards it as Calum shakes his head and starts piling their items onto the small conveyor belt, making sure to place a divider between theirs and the woman before him who is very clearly buying out the store's entire stock of singing snowman plushies. Michael comes back just as the woman working the register starts ringing up their items, placing two hideously adorable Christmas sweaters down behind the rest of their things. Calum can't help the smile that spreads over his face as he watches Michael happily admire all their new decorations and ornaments, wondering how he got so lucky as to have this gorgeous and quirky boy be all his. He ruefully watches the price total go up higher and higher, cringing inwardly when he has to swipe his debit card to pay for it all. He accepts the receipt and takes the rest of the bags that Michael couldn't manage to fit in his hands, following his love out to the car to load it up with everything they bought.

 

\--------------------------------------------------

 

"Calum, I found one!" Michael yells, his voice coming distantly from Calum's right.

 

"I'm coming babe, hang on." Calum calls back, weaving his way around the labyrinth of pre-cut Christmas trees to try to find Michael.

 

He catches sight of the brilliant blue hair and marches over to where his boy his standing and staring at what is probably an eight foot tall tree, perfectly round and robust around the bottom and tapering in the higher up it goes, ending is a perfect point. Calum smiles and nods, instructing Michael to wait by the tree while he goes to find an attendant to help them get it down and wrapped up. He finally finds a guy by the front gate to the tree place, leading him over to Michael and helping him pick the tree up and carry it back to where they put the netting on. The man hands Calum the tree tag and directs Calum to the small shack-like building behind them where Calum can take the tag and pay for the tree. He comes back with their receipt just as the workers are helping Michael strap the tree to the roof of their car, and he can't help but laugh at the way Michael gives directions, so unclearly and confused sounding. Luckily the workers know what they're doing and they have the tree strapped in and secured in no time, sending Calum and Michael on their way. Michael looks extremely ecstatic the entire drive home, staring out the window with a smile on his face and his hand in Calum's over the center console. 

 

Calum wants to laugh a little bit when they pull into their driveway, just at the sheer fact that their house is the brightest and tackiest out of everyone on the block. Their gutter is lined all the way around with rainbow teardrop shaped lights and white icicle ones, and each window has an indoor light fixture suction cupped onto it in different blinking shapes like snowflakes and reindeer and candy canes. Their front porch is also covered in a mixture of rainbow and white lights, and there is a wire and tinsel light up Rudolph standing cheerily to the left of the front door. Michael also thought it imperative to have several of the blow up decorations on the front lawn, including one with moving penguins sliding around on an igloo in hats and scarves. It's entirely over the top and blindingly bright but Michael's smile is enough to make Calum forget about how embarrassing it is to be "that" house during the holidays.

 

"Alright, let's get this thing inside so we can decorate it!" Michael says, hopping excitedly out of the car and quickly undoing the bungee cords that hold the tree to the car.

 

Calum undoes the other side of cords and helps Michael get it down, carrying it to their front door and setting it down in the tree stand Michael picked out while shopping the other day. It's a perfect fit, and Calum makes sure it's securely in place while Michael cuts the netting off and throws it out.

 

"Now we just have to wait for the branches to fall again and then we can decorate it." Calum says, stepping back to admire the beautiful tree Michael managed to scope out.  
Michael sighs impatiently but he relents, knowing Calum is right and that if they decorate it now before the branches have fallen and settles, the decorations will look wonky and maybe even fall off, so he kisses Calum's cheek sweetly and pulls him toward the kitchen.

 

"Let's make those cookies we bought the other day." Michael suggests, letting go of Calum's hands and reaching for the handle on the fridge.

 

"Yeah, good idea baby." Calum agrees, watching Michael pull out the pack of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough with the green Christmas trees imprinted right down the middle.

 

Michael preheats the oven according to the directions while Calum rummages for a cooking sheet, finally finding one in the bottom cabinet and spraying it with nonstick spray. They lay the pre-shaped cookie dough pieces on the sheet, spacing them as evenly as they can manage and washing their hands after. A few more minutes pass and the preheat signal finally beeps, Calum picking up the tray and sliding it onto the top rack inside the oven. He sets the timer as Michael throws the trash away and brings out a plate to put the cookies on once they're done. It doesn't take long for them to cook, the timer going off and Calum putting on the oven mitts before taking the tray out and setting it down. Michael gets a spatula and scoops each cookie onto the plate to cool, bringing them out into the living room with them and setting the plate on the small coffee table.

 

"I'd say that tree looks pretty settled to me." Michael announces, smiling as he drags over the box with the tree lights and ornaments and the star inside. He's about to start pulling things out when he remembers something. "Wait! We have to wear our matching sweaters!" He decides, grabbing Calum's hand and pulling him back towards their bedroom.

 

Calum laughs as they go, catching his sweater when Michael tosses it at him and taking off his current black t-shirt, switching it for the ugly sweater Michael forced him to buy. Michael's is the exact same, with the rows of Christmas trees lining the chest and hem of the shirt and a huge array of reindeer scattered all over the rest of the sweater, complete with little black pompoms for noses. Michael looks thoroughly satisfied as they move back out and start unraveling the strings of lights. Calum plugs them in to check that they're all working before he starts carefully wrapping the string around the tree from top to bottom. Once he's got it all settled he helps Michael pile on the ornaments, layering sets of glittery circle ones with different funky shaped ones and little animals until the entire thing is covered. 

 

"I'm gonna go look in the garage and see if we have a little step stool we can use to put the star on the top." Calum says, kissing Michael's lips several times in quick spurts before walking through the kitchen and into the garage.

 

Michael sets about making small mugs of hot chocolate, stirring the mix into the hot milk and carefully carrying both cups out and setting them by the completely cooled cookies. Calum comes back a minute later with their step stool, unfolding it and placing it next to the tree. Michael climbs the two steps and Calum hands him the simple gold star, holding Michael's hips to keep him steady as the older boy situates the star on the pointed top branch. He steps down and Calum folds the stool back up, leaning it against the wall before stepping back and putting his arm around Michael's shoulder.

 

"It's crooked." Michael muses, sounding oddly happy about the fact that the star is leaning tragically to the right.

 

"It looks cool like that. Really fits with our lives right now." Calum admits, listening to Michael scoff.

 

They settle down in their living room, entirely empty except for their little coffee table and now their tree. They sit side by side on the floor against the far wall where the table is, sipping hot chocolate slowly and eating the cookies one by one. 

 

"You know, I think we did alright." Michael smiles, the lights from the tree creating shadows on his cheeks. 

 

Calum watches the disco effect of the glitter ornaments against the bright lights dance across Michael's pale skin. "I think we did amazing, baby."

 

Michael turns and he can see the outline of their lopsided tree star in Calum's eyes. "I love you Calum."

 

"I love you more." Calum argues softly, pulling Michael into his side and kissing the older boy's temple. "I'd say this has already been the best Christmas ever and it's not even Christmas yet."

 

Michael barks a laugh that nearly spills his hot chocolate. "I'd say you're right."

**Author's Note:**

> WELCOME TO FICMAS DAY 5!!!!!! Today you get Malum enjoying their first in their new home because why the heck not? This is just cute and sweet and kinda short but I thought it was a nice idea so I ran with it. These end notes are getting shorter and shorter now that I'm typing them every day but whatever, I don't mind. I hope you enjoy this, please leave feedback below, and I love you<333
> 
>  
> 
> tumblr: senioritastyles & babyhemhem  
> twitter: xtraceex  
> instagram: traceethekid  
> snapchat: youngtray


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